Adjusting
by Kalira69
Summary: Shiro's pregnancy has begun to have an effect on him, and he and his mate both have some adjustments to make. (Galra AU; Written for Sheith Month, Day 9) (The Empress' Elite series, #4)


Written for Day 9 of Sheith Month: Quality Time & Physical Touch.

Here, finally, is a little more of the Cubling Arc! (There's so much more to this AU 'verse, and I love these versions of the boys, when I have time and energy to work with them.) There'll be more yet of both this 'verse and the actual cubling coming up during this Event. ;)

* * *

"Hey, Keith are- _Yowch_ , what happened?"

One ear folding back, Keith eyed Pidge warily. "What?" he asked when she didn't clarify.

Pidge grabbed his wrist. Keith tensed, but his instinctive reaction to lash out was just slow enough - he _did_ know it was Pidge, and had seen her reaching for him - that he could suppress it. "This?" Pidge said, holding up his arm and shifting her fingers away from- Ah.

"Shiro's . . . not feeling great." Keith admitted, tugging his arm away. Pidge's fingers slid over the livid marks his mate's fangs had gouged out of his arm. She stared at him with wide eyes. "His body's adjusting." he added with a shrug. "I don't blame him for being jumpy, and I startled him when he didn't know I was even back yet."

Pidge shook her head. "Holy mikals. Better you than me." she added wryly. Keith snorted, selecting another piece of bread and balancing it on the platter he already held. Pidge bumped companionably against his shoulder, and he glanced down at her again, humming curiously. "You're going to be a good dad." she said, with a crooked smile.

Keith cleared his throat against a tiny, uncertain grumble, ducking his head.

Pidge laughed softly and punched his side lightly before trotting off, her hands full of something that probably purported to be a sandwich. Keith watched her for a moment, then turned back to the counter. He hesitated, then snagged a jug of fruit juice and headed out into the corridors himself.

He had to juggle things for a few moments to free a hand at the door to their quarters, but he managed it and slipped inside without dropping anything. Inside their rooms were only dimly lit, tinted with the soft red Shiro had said he found soothing now.

Keith smiled, weaving through the main room without pausing. Moving into the bedroom beyond, he found Shiro curled comfortably near the centre of their bed.

It had become even more of a nest over the cycles since Shiro's pregnancy had taken, then begun to affect him, and their bed was heaped with blankets and even more pillows than usual. Shiro was mostly hidden under his current favourite, the heavy, thick fur - big enough to dwarf their entire bed and drape off the sides almost to the floor - of an orbrethct Keith had killed, bringing the pelt back as something of an apology for his mate when a mission had kept him away for several days.

Shiro would normally not have required an apology of any kind for such a thing - Lance had needed _someone_ to rescue him, someone who could pull off winning a championship by sword, and Keith had gone at their Empress' orders, besides - but as his hormones shifted and his body began to change to support their cub he had been more emotional, and his instincts _demanded_ his mate be close. The offering for their nest had placated the distress his absence had caused, and been a comfort the next time Keith had been pulled away by his duties for an extended period.

Keith settled the jug and platter he had brought on the table near the bed, watching Shiro - his ears twitched, flicking towards Keith - then removed his boots and leapt lightly onto the bed near Shiro's hip. Keith dug his fingers into the thick fur, shifting it aside.

Shiro uncurled a bit, and Keith reached past his mate's shoulder, brushing his fingers over Shiro's arm. It was almost the same gesture that had so badly startled his uncomfortable, nervy mate yesterday and netted him a wrist full of fangs. This time, well aware it was Keith, Shiro only turned over to nestle into his thigh with a soft purr.

Keith stroked his hair, giving a throaty purr in return, and curled around his mate affectionately, folding one knee up. Shiro wrapped an arm around his waist, hugging him hard enough to compress his lower ribs just a little, clinging. Smiling fondly, Keith smoothed one hand down his mate's back, ruffling his fur, and he let out a soft mew, pressing his head into Keith's belly.

"You need to eat something, darling." Keith murmured, rubbing his knuckles down the back of Shiro's neck to the thick ruff at his nape, then trailing a lighter caress of fingertips along his broad jaw.

Shiro snapped playfully at his fingers with a flash of fangs that fell just shy of catching them, then grinned, laughing and nuzzling into his palm. Keith rubbed his thumb over his mate's cheek and bent to kiss his brow, rumbling affectionately.

"Mm. . ." Shiro tipped his head under the caress. "What did you bring?" he asked after a moment, stretching and rolling onto his back to cant a curious look at the nearby table.

Keith shifted forwards, leaning over his mate to nuzzle Shiro's face and steal a soft kiss before answering. "Your favourites, and what's best for your body right now." he said honestly, and Shiro gave him a warm, soft-eyed look. One broad hand came up to curl behind his shoulder, pulling him down even as he began to shift away again. Keith stopped immediately, letting himself be drawn close and caught into more kisses, curling his body down atop Shiro's with a low purr.

He stroked his mate's side with one hand as he melted into the lazily possessive kisses Shiro was begging for with every touch. Eventually, though, he pulled away, giving a gently reprimanding growl as Shiro protested, and sat up fully. "Hungry?" he asked, flicking the backs of his claws gently over Shiro's shoulder. He pouted, then stretched again and he propped himself up on one elbow, nodding.

Keith leaned over to snag one of the plates from the platter he'd brought without climbing off the bed, then settled comfortably with it resting on his crossed legs. Shiro sat up as well, looking over the plate Keith held, then rearranged the nest a little as he cuddled close to Keith's side, curled down to make it easier. Keith huffed a soft laugh and shifted his shoulder to let his mate rest against it comfortably, putting the plate down on the bed nearby instead. He tipped his head to nose at Shiro's cheek and watched as his mate - predictably - selected a piece of brilliant blue fruit first.

Keith didn't protest, but when Shiro finished eating that, he offered a strip of roasted meat, raising his eyebrows. Shiro eyed him, then dipped his head to accept it from Keith's fingers, brushing his cheek against Keith's hand before drawing back. Keith smiled, stroking his thumb along Shiro's jaw, then snagged a bite from the plate for himself.

Shiro laughed, curling one arm around Keith's waist and pulling him down as soon as he'd swallowed the dumpling. Keith let out a startled laugh of his own as he toppled, leaning solidly into the warm pressure of Shiro's body. Shiro gave a low rumble that wasn't quite a purr but was too sweet to really be a growl, rubbing his face against Keith's and breathing him in, mussing his hair with one hand.

Keith laughed again at the feeling but only twined himself closer to his mate, dipping in for a few brief kisses and making Shiro shiver and purr contentedly, closing his eyes with a flutter of lashes. Keith nosed his ear, dragging his tongue up one edge of it towards the point. Shiro melted in his arms as he repeated the caress, then nipped the very tip of Shiro's ear, and Keith purred affectionately, left hand dropping down his mate's body to settle over his ribs, kneading gently.

He drew back after a few more lazy strokes of his tongue and gentle nuzzles, tugging Shiro along with him this time. He sighed, but didn't protest, reaching out to the plate and then pausing as Keith gave him a look. He wrinkled his nose at Keith, then chose a piece of roasted bird and _not_ the fruit he had been reaching for at first.

Keith wrinkled his nose back, shaking his head slightly, amused. Shiro should be indulging his cravings somewhat - to some extent they were his body telling him what it needed - but he also needed to be eating _other_ things. Even before they had known for sure the pregnancy had taken, Keith had made sure he knew as much as he could about what Shiro would need and how to take care of him while his body changed to support their cub.

Keith turned to pick up the pitcher of juice, pouring a glass and taking a sip himself before offering it to his mate. Shiro accepted it, taking a deep drink before passing it back and settling lower on the bed.

Keith put it aside, back on the table, and chose another tidbit from the plate, holding it up for Shiro. He laughed, one ear tilting backwards almost dubiously, but wrapped his hand around Keith's wrist and took the bite from his fingers with a playful flick of his tongue.

Keith stilled, watching the soft pink flash of his mate's tongue slide over his fingertips. Shiro nipped gently at them, giving a soft rumble as he met Keith's eyes slantwise around his forelock, and Keith shook his head, huffing softly, and reached for another bite.

He shifted to lounge beside his mate, and they tangled themselves up comfortably in the plush orbrethct fur as they shared the rest of the meal Keith had brought.

* * *

My Galra in this AU draw pretty heavily from big cats (and a few other wild animals) and some of that is informing how I write Shiro's pregnancy. (As well as how both the cub and parents will act once born.)

Hopefully it was clear that Shiro isn't suddenly unbalanced or mean/vicious, he's just very on edge and being startled is more alarming than usual and he's instinctively more defensive with his hormones spiking. Particularly now while his body is adjusting and before he's really gotten used to all the changes happening so he _can_ carry their cub.

The two animals mentioned:  
Mikals I came up with solely because Galra Pidge probably shouldn't say 'holy monkeys' but that was what I had in mind.  
Orbrethct were also created for this, for obvious reasons, although with a little more detail as to what they're like than the former.


End file.
